This March, the Creative Enterprise Leadership (CEL) Department went on a whirlwind trip to Dublin, Ireland, bringing together students, faculty, alumni, and local partners to explore the city and exchange knowledge to support creative leadership and sustainable transformation. The trip is a natural extension of CEL’s programs, which prepare leaders to design new strategies that serve communities, cultures, businesses, and biosystems around the globe. The program is rooted in a foundation of circularity and mutual care, instructing students on aligning ethical leadership with key challenges related to climate and the ecology of place.
In today’s world, leaders urgently need to act across borders, communicate across cultures, and adapt to a constantly shifting global landscape. The CEL Department chose Ireland because of the country’s commitment to building cultural and creative capacity, as well as its unique position as an island, both remote and connected to global networks, and a site where tradition and innovation converge.
The trip welcomed leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs from Irish and international organizations, including the Joseph Campbell Foundation; the Creative Futures Academy; the National College of Art and Design (NCAD); the Institute of Art, Design, and Technology (IADT); Pépite Raisin; The Lennon Courtney Podcast; Clear Eye Leadership; Green Kite Impact; ReFarm Ireland; The Happy Pear; Association of Managers of Innovation (AMI); The Leadership Collaboratory; and the Larkin Consultancy.
“‘Our world is changing’ is a phrase I’ve been hearing in the innovation space for a decade,” said Dyanis De Jesus, MS Design Management ’13. “During this trip to Ireland, I witnessed a real shift: the people we met there are now turning circularity into action—from a national circular economy strategy to reshaping how products are designed and reused to accelerators and ventures transforming waste into new materials, food, and systems.”
Sharing Expertise
The trip presented participants with a unique opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, learn from Ireland’s innovative models, and exchange their own ideas. The collaborative program involved talks and workshops from leaders and educators, who shared their varying approaches to pressing issues. The program experience was artfully woven by the facilitators, or “Journey Weavers,” who helped to synthesize our program with learnings and activities.
A session led by the head of the Joseph Campbell Foundation explored the shift from the traditional “hero’s journey”—a narrative pattern that emphasizes the role of a singular ‘hero’—toward one centered on cooperation and collaboration. Professor Enda O’Dowd of NCAD and board member of ReDiscovery Centre introduced attendees to the work of community building, circular systems, and innovation. Professor Seoidin O’Sullivan of NCAD led groups through an exploration of the NCAD FIELD, an area near the college that was “‘guerilla composted’ in the last decade and now is a wild and biodiverse haven in the inner city.” Louise Allen, director of Creative Futures Academy, highlighted design’s role not as a luxury or an afterthought but as a national capability.
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![A diverse group of people sits in a semi-circle in a rustic, greenhouse-like setting. In the foreground, a person with light-colored hair demonstrates a technique using a tool while others observe intently. Some individuals are wearing warm clothing and gloves, suggesting a cold environment. The atmosphere appears focused and engaged, with various plants and natural materials visible around the space.]()
Collective weaving practices integrated throughout the trip asked, “What can we do together that we cannot do alone?” -
![A diverse group of approximately 25 people stands in front of the Rediscovery Centre, an industrial-style building with a sign above. The people are smiling and appear to be posing for a photo. In the foreground, there is a bright orange planter with blooming flowers. The sky is overcast, indicating a cloudy day.]()
Participants at the ReDiscovery Centre, the National Centre for the Circular Economy in Ireland
Leading as If Life Matters
The trip was inspired in part by CEL’s book, Leading as If Life Matters, a manual and exploration of what it means to lead with life at the center, co-written by Creative Enterprise Leadership Chair Mary McBride, Assistant Chair and Visiting Associate Professor Xue Bai, MPS Arts and Cultural Management ’21; MPS Design Management ’19, and Visiting Associate Professor of CEL Maren Maier.
McBride and Bai, with David Smith, president of IADT, and Design Strategist Lara Hanlon, presented “100 Archive,” documenting the past, present, and future of Irish design, and “Design Declares Ireland,” a platform that builds on a long history of design manifestos. Design Declares offers a “radical declaration and a call to action.”
The final day of the trip was hosted by Fionnuala Ardee at Killruddery House and Gardens, where entrepreneurs Célia Roussin, Anke Heydenreich, Mary Lovegrove, and Margaret Ward demonstrated methods for moving from ideation into active engagement to transform commerce and enable community. Afterward, entrepreneur Stephen Flynn hosted a certificate ceremony for the CEL Caravanserai Fellows.
“We are the ones that we have been waiting for.”
Mary McBride, chair of Creative Enterprise Leadership
Seeing the Sights
The jam-packed weekend still left time for sightseeing, shared meals, and live music at a traditional Irish pub.
De Jesus summed up the spirit of the trip, inviting everyone to think carefully about the future: “Climate change will have a real impact on our economies in the next decade, and we are the trailblazers paving the path on how to shape what’s next!”
